The Butler weekly times., 1887-02-09
Naturalista aud Litterati.

very long aSO-when q man OF letters |
was entirely unlikely TO be a man Of
science. and men of science were scarce |
ly more likely to have much facility
with their pens. 1t was said of Scott. |
indeed. that he was the first English
novelist to lead his readers out Of doors
However that may be. he certainly did
take them out of doors. and right glori
ously. in both his prose and his poetry
Nor can that man be called other than
unhappy who does not still enjoy read.
ing of all those knights and merry men
under the greenwood Tree; who does
not like to hear the ''hark and whoop
and wild haloo" in "Ihe Lady of the
Lake." or go joyously into the hunting
field with Di Vernon; who does not. in
Rob Roy" glahly accompany the great
novelist who made the Highlands .
Merca with his striking tales Of war
and adventure. But SCOTS readers look
to him for action. for romantic scenery.
for air and exercise, and do not expect
any minute observation OF nature, ~
Audubon and Button understood it-as
we have been made to understand it by
Thoreau. Mr.. Burroughs. Mr.. Torrey.
L
has just set US to thinking of this sub
ject.
O! Brignail banks are wild and fair.
Aud Greta woods are green.
Aud " Il may gather garlHnds there
Would grace summer queen.
But you may ask in vain what fOwcrt
went to make these garland. which were
gathered on Brignall banks and in
Greta woods. just as one is inclined te
doubt whether Shelley knew where his
skylark had its nest. and to suspect
Burns Of not knowing any too much Of
the natural history Of the field mouse.
in spite OF the genius born words in
which he describes tho c0werin' besstio.
The natural historians on the other
hand. used never to be expected to show
literary skill. and tho greater number
Of them-even several Of the most IA.
mous-one would not think of reading
except for information. Button. to be
sure. has . style, but 1t is usually 20 out
Of keeping with his subject that his
readers arc sometimes tempted to wish
that like most Of the older naturalisss,
he had none.
1t has been reserved for an American
school-Atlantic, rs it might be called
to show what minute observation and
good writing can accomplish between
them. In saying this We do not forgot
one or two English novelists who have
come close to nature in some of her
visible forms Kingsley and his Devon.
shire coast can not soon be forgotten.
but he again, as we'll as MIR. Black, is
chiefly concerned with what may BE-
broadly described rs scenery. As fol
Thomas sHardy-wonderful and bcauti.
full ~ are many of his descriptions-his
treatment Of nature is SO subjective. %
much of his own personality cutters even
into q picture Of n hedgerow, that he
scarcely counts in our discussion. 1t is,
then, TO An American school that W
must look for n real union Of literature
and natural history. Mr.. Burroughs
Miss Thomas. Mr.. Torrey-the list is BY
no means exclusive-not only knows -
bank whereon the wild thyme grows.
but they know also all that is to b,
learned about the wild thyme itself
In other words. the woods AMI the field:
and the streams arc AZ much withir
their ken rs tho poets. Mr.. Burrough'
Mrs. Oliphant says that American
women abroad speak of him proudly N
"dcar John Burroughs" Burrough
neglects no smallest detail in his &C
counts of birds and wild flowers, but h
likewise has an eve for whatever i
grand in nature, and Al ear for tn,
greatest poets. Miss Thomas, too. i
capable and shows that she is capabl,
OF observation, as we'll as that of oil
White. OF Silborne, when he was watch
ing for the venerable tortoise TO com
out of his hole Her vigilance is s,
keen that tho slightest changes in tn
auemone when the wind blows over j
do not escape her; yet Miss Thoma
also Is hand and glove with the poets
not only with those who are familiarl
quoted, but such rs Elizabethan Davis
''whose verse;" she affirm. has touf
! both of the savant and srauscendenta
"-Boston Post